Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates XRG) claimed victory in the queen stage of O Gran Camiño after a day marked by heat and tactical battles between teams, all trying to position themselves for the win. In the end, the Brit took both the stage and the yellow jersey with an attack three kilometers from the finish that only Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma Lease a Bike) could partially respond to.
Xinzo de Limia hosted the start of the fourth stage of O Gran Camiño, where Carlos Canal received a warm reception in his hometown, with locals turning out to support their rider. From one of the capitals of the Galician Entroido, the race headed toward Xunqueira de Espadanedo in what was considered the queen stage, featuring a summit finish that created the first significant gaps in the general classification.
At kilometer 35, Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos Burpellet BH) and Samuel Fernández (Caja Rural Seguros RGA) launched the first move of the day, passing first— in that order—through the Ultreia sprint in Celanova, with Alexis Guerin (Anicolor/Campicarn) in third place. The move didn’t stick, and it wasn’t until kilometer 87 that a breakaway formed featuring Martín Rey (Burgos Burpellet BH), Xabier Isasa (Euskaltel Euskadi), Andoni López de Abechuko (Anicolor–Campicarn), Noah Campos (Team Tavira–Crédito Agrícola), Lucas Lopes (Efapel Cycling), and Diogo Pinto (Credibom–LA Aluminios–Marcos Car). At the Ultreia sprint in Ourense, Noah Campos scored maximum points, ahead of Martín Rey and Andoni López de Abechuko. Notably, at the final Ultreia sprint in Allariz, Iván Romeo took a one-second bonus after crossing behind Nadav Raisberg (NSN Cycling Team) and the points classification leader Patryk Goszczurny (Visma Lease a Bike).
Once the fast section ended, the race reached the first ascent of the Category 1 climb of Cabeza de Meda, with Samuel Fernández leading solo. One minute behind were Martín Rey and Lucas Lopes, positioned between the leader and a peloton controlled by UAE Team Emirates XRG and NSN Cycling Team. Samuel Fernández crested the climb alone, with the chasing duo just over a minute behind and the peloton, led by Visma Lease a Bike, two minutes back.
On the way to the Alto do Rodicio, UAE Team Emirates XRG again set the pace in the peloton, with former race leader Julius Johansen pulling strongly. The battle among the favorites ignited on this second-category climb, with NSN Cycling Team sending George Bennett up the road, joined by Anton Schiffer (Visma Lease a Bike). Three kilometers from the summit, the pair caught an exhausted Samuel Fernández and moved clear with a 20-second advantage, which allowed them to crest alone and even extend their lead heading into the final climb, just six kilometers from the finish. Kevin Vermaeke (UAE Team Emirates XRG) bridged across as Adam Yates launched his decisive move. The Brit attacked three kilometers from the finish with no real response from his rivals. Race leader Alessandro Pinarello began to struggle, while Jørgen Nordhagen set off alone in pursuit of Yates.
In those final moments—where teamwork fades and only individual strength remains—each rider pushed as best they could in the intense heat of Ourense. One by one, they arrived at Cabeza de Meda, where Adam Yates reigned supreme, winning the stage and taking over the overall lead. Nordhagen finished second, 46 seconds behind, while Alessandro Pinarello came in at 1:04.
In the general classification, Adam Yates is the new leader, with a 34-second advantage over Jørgen Nordhagen and 54 seconds over Alessandro Pinarello. The top Spanish riders are Abel Balderstone (fourth, +1:29), Iván Romeo (fifth, +2:09), and José Félix Parra (sixth, +2:32).
The race will be decided tomorrow in the final stage between As Neves and Monte Trega, featuring a spectacular finish with a cobbled section on the Via Crucis that will determine the outcome of this edition.
Adam Yates
“It was a tough day, with a lot of climbing and very technical roads—overall, a hard day, especially the final climb, which was super steep. The team did a fantastic job controlling things all day. I expected a 9% climb, but there were much steeper ramps.”
“I’ve never been to Monte Trega, but I saw on TV when Jonas Vingegaard won there. The cobbled section at the end isn’t my specialty, so it will be a tough day and a hard climb.”
Jesús Herrada
“Monte Trega is a climb I know. Yates looks like the strongest in the general classification. We’ll try to go on the offensive and give everything at the finish.”
“Ezequiel Mosquera is doing a great job. From the very first year you could see the effort being made to grow this race, and it keeps improving every year. It deserves a higher category than it currently has.”
